Big Wild Goose Pagoda

The Wild Goose Pagoda was built in 652 AD during the reign of Tang Emperor Gaozong. It was built to house a collection of Buddhist relics that were taken from India. It is part of the Daci'en Temple complex which was build in 648 AD.
According to Buddhist legend, the Wild Goose Pagoda got it's name when a group of monks could not find meat to buy. Upon seeing a flock of wild geese flying by, a monk said out loud that he hoped the Bodhisattva would give them meat. Immediately, the head wild goose fell to the ground and broke it's wing. The monks believed that the Bodhisattva had shown his spirit to them through this goose and wanted them to be more pious. They gave up eating meat and built the pagoda at the site the goose had fallen.
We were able to climb all seven floors of the temple and had an amazing view of Xi'an. At the complex there were some temples, scripture, relics, and a drum tower that was built in the 1500's.

View of the Wild Goose Pagoda and

surrounding area in 1911.

Modern view from the fourth floor of the Wild

Goose Pagoda.